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Givenchy Harvest Collection 2007, Indult C16 ~ new perfumes

Givenchy has launched the "Les Millésimes de Givenchy" harvest collection for 2008. The three fragrances, Amarige, Organza and Very Irresistible, have the same cubed bottle design as last year, and feature floral harvests from 2007.

This year's Harvest Amarige (shown) features mimosa from Tamil Nadu in India, which "enhances the floral and luminous facets of Amarige with more modernity, sweetness and luminosity". Other notes include mandarin leaf, neroli and precious woods.

Harvest Organza focuses on jasmine absolute from the Nile Delta in Egypt, which renders the heart notes "more opulent and radiant". Other notes include apricot, honeysuckle, petitgrain, neroli, vanilla and nutmeg.

Harvest Very Irrésistible features Damascena rose from the Dades Valley in Morocco, "revealing generous tea rose tones and floral facets".

The collection is available now at Harrods; £57 each for 60 ml Eau de Parfum.

New from Indult, C16, a limited edition fragrance developed by perfumer Francis Kurkdjian and "inspired by original smell of tonkin musk". There are 213 bottles and the fragrance is exclusive to Colette in Paris; as with the other Indults, if you buy one of the limited editions, you can re-order refills in the future. (via newsletter from colette.fr)

I remember a while ago, I think it was the 2006 (maybe 2005?) Harvest collection, when they stil had the traditional bottles for each fragrance, I very nearly bought the Very Irresistible one on several occasions for my mom, and i've tried countless times to buy Very Irresistible in one form or another for my best friend, but everytime I always get distracted and choose something else.

I think the name C16 is a refference to the macrocyclic musks found in natural musk Tonkin, like muscone, exaltolide … some of them, the lactones are also called with this short name – like Lactone MC15. There is also a new macrocyclic lactone found in in the oil of angelica, called muscolide (14-methylpentadecano-15-lactone).

There will be also in 2008 Musc Nomade by Annick Goutal – featuring angelica notes.

Just as a joke, C16 is also the name of an (pseudo)aldehyde – with a typical strawberry note, widely used in flavours/fragrances, a common fruity material (aldehyde C16).

I am amazed by the new 2008 fragrances inspired by the real Musk. Can we expect a trend where fragrances will become again “less clean” and more animalic, sexy? If I think of the new Tom of Findland – I have a feeling that “human” smells start to interest brands again after the fruity era.

Just to speak about Musk Tonkin – the description that Chandler Burr gives in his book is one of the most faboulous I've ever read.

Octavian: Just had to write and say how much I appreciate your detailed information. Do you work for Flexitral? What a delight that this blog attracts people with so many backgrounds and with such great input on so many aspects of perfume. I think it's so funny that the uninitiated think perfume as a hobby is weird. This blog runs most days of the year and there are still unexplored topics!

I wanted to say rather on niche perfumes…. Or maybe it could be but in the “history trend” – because musk tonkin is also a mythical ingredient from ancient times. Do you know that by april in Paris there will be a big Marie Antoinette (at Grand Palais) exhibition gathering art pieces from all around the world? I don't know why but those musk animalic scents make me think of Versailles (and its suffocating air:)